PORT ANGELES — Clallam County will make good on a $200,000 commitment to Peninsula Behavioral Health for its recently opened mental health crisis center.
The three commissioners today will consider approving the funds for renovations to the former St. Vincent de Paul building at 112 E. Eighth St.
Commissioners authorized the spending more than year ago from a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax for agencies like Peninsula Behavioral Health that provide mental health or chemical dependency services.
“Peninsula [Behavioral Health] was doing most of that renovation work through the summer,” Clallam County Human Services Planner Jude Anderson told the board Monday.
“It is now open and functioning.”
The six-bed Clallam County Respite Center provides intensive care for acute psychiatric patients in a voluntary, unlocked setting.
These patients were previously sent to hospital emergency rooms as the state faces a shortage of psychiatric beds.
The Clallam County Respite Center was dedicated Dec. 4.
“We will pay the bulk of the renovations, but there were other partners also involved in that,” Clallam County Health and Human Services Director Iva Burks said.
“The ongoing fees, we won’t be involved in paying much. This is really our main impact for this facility.”
The state Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery contributed $353,500 to the respite center’s operations and $54,000 for capital, officials said.
Olympic Medical Center chipped in $60,000 for capital.
Private donations from community members provided another $27,000 for the respite center, Peninsula Behavioral Health officials have said.
In other board discussion, no commissioner objected to a $5,880 change order for ongoing improvements to the Clallam County Veterans Center.
County Parks, Fair and Facilities Manager Joel Winborn said the original contract omitted six doors that need to be replaced.
Aldergrove Construction of Port Angeles has begun an interior remodel of the facility at 216 S. Francis St.
Once completed next month, the veterans center will have new flooring, lighting, paint, kitchen cabinets and appliances.
“The remodel is coming along great, actually,” Winborn told the board.
If the change order is approved, the new contract amount would be $118,194.
The estimated cost was $150,000.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
